Local eateries have lots of warm fare to melt chilly spell

German Village has a multitude of places to beat back the winter blahs.

Whether it's a towering burger, hot beverages or crispy pizza, German Village has a multitude of places to beat back the winter blahs.

One establishment synonymous with belly-busting fare is the Thurman Cafe, home of gargantuan ground-meat patties and fresh-cut fries, and also a recent stop for Adam Richman, the host of the Travel Channel's "Man v. Food."

Donna Devol, a partner in the business, said only the biggest of appetites can devour the Thurman-ator -- 25 ounces of meaty mayhem. Devol, who runs the place with her brothers,

Mike and Paul Suclescy, said the burger was inspired by weightlifters at the Arnold Classic, who would drop by the restaurant looking for big bites of protein. It's basically two of the popular Thurman burgers, consisting of ham, cheese and a long list of condiments.

Thurman Cafe sells an average of 100 Thurman-ators a week and many customers have finished the whole thing.

"It's been done," Devol said. "It's crazy, but it's been done."

Over at Schmidt's Sausage Haus, customers line up every afternoon and night for the buffet, which has at least four types of sausage, potato salad, sauerkraut, mac 'n' cheese and corned beef and cabbage, not to mention the famous cream puffs, which cost $2.50 extra with the buffet. Schmidt's, too, attracted Richman on his visit to Columbus. Owner Geoff Schmidt said the smorgasbord accounts for about 40 percent of the restaurant's business.

"It's German food, so it sticks to your ribs," he said. "It's not froufrou by any stretch of the imagination."

Patrons of the MoJoe Lounge can warm themselves beside the fireplace with steamy coffee drinks and grilled cheese with tomato soup. Supervisor Lauren Richmond said some are partaking in more adult beverages, such as the Nutty Irishman (coffee, Frangelico, Jameson Irish Whiskey and whipped cream) and the Turtle (coffee, Bailey's Irish Cream, Kahlua and butterscotch).

Throw in some TVs and subtle background music, and MoJoe makes for a relaxing wintertime locale, Richmond said.

"Everyone needs to come here when it's cold out," she said.

When visiting his restaurant, Plank's Bier Garten on High Street, owner Dan Plank advises: "Get a soup and a sandwich and you'll be fine."

The soup varies daily but the sandwich in question -- at least, one of the sandwiches in question -- is the Dagwood, a choice of meat, cheese and traditional garnish topped with cole slaw and fries. It has never been weighed, but it's every bit of a pound -- "at least," Plank said.

Plank added that many customers sate their appetites on the "works" pizza - pepperoni, ham, sausage and a slew of veggies.

Not everything in the village is designed to make you loosen your belt. At Yosick's Artisan Chocolates, customers go crazy over the hot chocolate, made with real melted Callebaut.

"It's like drinking chocolate not hot chocolate, so it's a much richer sensation," owner Kristy Yosick said. "Once people try it, it's harder to go back to regular hot chocolate."

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